Saturday, March 10, 2012

DHD Blog Hop

Finding Time to Scrapbook

I'm not even going to go off on what a bad blogger I am - Let's just get to the point of this post. You are here as part of a blog hop for Design House Digital and I am glad you stopped by. I have a goodie to share with you if you scroll to the bottom of this post you will find a link to grab a template I created for you. I don't know about you but I LOVE templates. They are one of the greatest tools to help you scrap more quickly. Lately I have not been scrapbooking very much and that makes me kind of sad. I thought I'd brainstorm for a few minutes here with you about ways to find more time to scrapbook. We all know that there are just 24 hours in a day and that we can't really create more time but what we can do is choose how we manage that time. Hopefully, we will spend our time on what matters most. Sometimes there are crises in our lives and that will completely shift how we spend our time. Let's talk about "normal" life though - the regular day in and day out life. Is scrapbooking really important to us? Do we really want to scrapbook? If we do, then we will make time for it.

Schedule: It may require that we actually schedule it into our life routine. Perhaps there is a certain day of the week when we can actually plan on some quiet, down-time where we can get some scrapbooking done. Or does your family have a habit of watching a movie together at home on the weekend? If your family doesn't mind, maybe you can use your laptop to scrapbook while you are all together "watching" a movie. I know that often my family doesn't really choose a movie that appeals to me and so just being with them in the same room to "listen" to the movie rather than actually watch it can often be an option for me. So take a minute to look at your schedule and routines and see if there is a time where it would be natural to do some scrapbooking.

Streamline: Perhaps you really do have a super tight schedule and feel like there is just not enough time to scrapbook. This is when you look at what things in your life are taking up all your time. Is there anything that you can let go of? Is there a way to streamline some of the things that are keeping you from scrapbooking that will then create a window of time for you? See if you can free up some time and then don't let something else claim it. You created this time for your scrapbooking so use it for that!

Stay focused: How many times have you sat down to the computer with every intention of scrapbooking only to loose track of your time and not have any time left to scrapbook? You know the drill - you check your email, look at your Facebook, read a few blogs, do I even dare mention Pinterest? click one hyperlink and then another and before long you have spent all your free time. If you have scheduled this time for scrapbooking, then use it for that and then when you have completed your page or project you can allow yourself to stray from photoshop and check out the goings-on elsewhere on the computer.

Motivation: Maybe what we are lacking is inspiration or creativity and that is what is keeping us from scrapping but then we just blame it on not having the time to do it. If you are like me you don't like to admit that you have lost your MOJO. Sometimes I am able to pull myself out of my funk by joining in a challenge like the ones we have at DHD. Sometimes I will just browse the gallery and find a LO that I like and use it for inspriation. Sometimes all I have to do is browse the shop and see all the great products and then I just can't wait to get started.

Shortcuts: Find ways that make scrapbooking easier for you. Use quick pages or templates. I am giving you a template just for stopping by today and hopefully you will enjoy it. You can pick it up HERE and if you need a password use tiffanyqp

And if you made it this far reading the post.... Want to win a $5 Gift Certificate to DHD? Leave a comment on this blog post and I will do a drawing Wednesday, March 14. You can share your favorite way to make time for scrapbooking or just say "thanks" for the template or whatever. Winner will be posted and notified Thursday morning, March 15.

I'm actually lucky to have a couple hours each day when my son is in preschool, and I can do a little scrapping then. And I've been avoiding Pinterest for exactly the reason you mentioned!! Thanks for the chance to win!

I like to do my scrapbooking while I'm watching TV. Right now, it's difficult for me to do anything on my laptop in the afternoons because of where the sun is - right in my face! But being a shiftworker can be an advantage in this situation because I have time when I'm home all alone!

Thank you so much for your blog post. It's something that a lot of us have to deal with. Sometimes I find the time but no motivation. Most of the time, it's a lack of time. Thank you for the wonderful template!

I really appreciate the template -- templates are huge time-savers for me. I'm new to digi-scrapping and find that if I don't do it at least a couple days a week, I "lose" what I've learned so far. It's not easy. We're all busy, but just need to re-prioritize sometimes. Blessings!!

I try to find time to scrap (and everything else) after my 3 kids go to bed...maybe I'll get tons more done if my youngest goes to preschool this fall! Thanks for the adorable template--I think I could use this over and over with some minor changes on each one.

i find being given a time limit like in speed scrap (that i impose on myself some nights because i can't always make scheduled crops), after a few minor blocks of planning time (pulling out photos and then a kit in between toddler activities as a SAHM) helps me - if i start looking through my stash for the perfect button or ribbon etc, pages take me hours but if i stick to a kit, it's a lot quicker and still a pretty good page

What a pretty page! Thanks for the chance to win. If I'm not in the mood to craft then no amount of coaxing will help - I'll even clean bathrooms to put it off. Look - I could be crafting now but I'm reading about other people crafting *sigh* It'll happen when it happens. (bit like the dusting LOL) Maybe I should just unplug the internet!

Time hasn't been too nice to me, so much to do and so little time to do it all! But you're right, if its really important, we'll make time for it! Thanks for the tips and motivation! Oh, and thanks for the template, too!

Thanks for the article/tips. Something that I try to remember with scrapbooking is ask myself, "which is more important? that it is PERFECT or that it is DONE?" So I constantly remind myself, "PERFECT or DONE?"

I usually come down on the side of DONE, though my A-type personality languishes for PERFECT!!!

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"Believe in yourselves. Believe in your capacity to do some good in this world. God sent us here for a purpose, and that was to improve the world in which we live. The wonderful thing is that we can do it." -President Gordon B. Hinckley

I am "mom" to four beautiful children, two boys and two girls. How lucky is that! I am blessed to have a very patient husband who lets me stay home even though I could make some good money with my nursing licence. I discovered digital scrapbooking in November 2007 and am hooked. I enjoy my CT work with great designers as well as collecting digital freebies. I also enjoy reading a good book, exercising & eating. I eat therefore I exercise. I won't bore you with more...

Some of my Layouts

DISCLAIMER: As a CT member for the aforementioned designers, I have received their products for free in return for creating and posting projects (digital layouts, hybrids projects, etc). Most of the layouts you see here were done as requirements for these CTs, please be advised that the product used was indeed received for free. Any additional advertising that I may do for them or for the stores with which they are affiliated is purely out of my dedication to these designers and the wish to see their business succeed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.